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Category: Marathon

Philadelphia Trail Marathon – Race Report 2025

What went right

Mindset is the hardest aspect to train for in running. It’s the focus of most of my posts here. I constantly have to remind myself why I do it. Why do I get out there, explore new trails, participate in new races, and keep showing up? This was my mindset going into the Philadelphia Trail Marathon.

Except from the book “Do hard things”:

Lower the bar. Raise the floor. When trying to improve, most of us go for the lift-the-ceiling approach, judging ourselves by our best performance ever. In track, we would define ourselves by our personal best for an event. To get better meant running faster than we ever had before. Brian Barraza, a professional runner, sees performance in a different light. “My goal is to raise the floor. Being confident that whenever I step out on the track, I’m going to be able to run a certain time.” Instead of going all in for the massive breakthrough, Barraza sets a minimum expectation. “When you raise the floor, it allows for those days when everything is clicking to exceed expectations. It’s not that we are lowering our ceiling or playing it safe; it’s that we’ve developed the confidence to know that X performance is repeatable. That as long as we do what’s in our control, we can achieve a certain standard, no matter the circumstances,” Barraza told me one day after practice. As I watched this idea percolate through the athletes, I came to notice a trend. Those who raised their floors had an inner confidence about them. What once seemed crazy to contemplate was now the norm. Brian Zuleger, a sports psychologist out of Adams State University, taught me an exercise to reframe expectations. Instead of aiming for our best performance, something that we can only accomplish rarely, shoot for improving your best average. When we judge ourselves against our all-time best, we inevitably fall short more often than not. Instead, averaging out our five most recent performances gives us a still tricky but achievable goal. The aim is first to be consistent. Don’t lower your expectations just so you can become confident. Understand what you are capable of, and set a standard that falls within that realm or just a touch outside of it. Embrace reality. Understand that a breakthrough doesn’t come from creating a false sense of confidence; by developing the belief that you can achieve a certain standard, you free yourself up to take risks when the opportunity presents itself.

I would not try for my BEST performance, but one in the top 10-20% of what I was capable.  I realized that running a PR can’t happen every single time, but that’s what our minds want.  I had a 3:53 and a 4:13 in previous years.  Goal was 4:03, but I felt that my training, weather, and nutrition warranted a sub 4 performance. That’s what I had set as my target, but would have been happy with a 4:05. Note, the big change this year was I haven’t had any alcohol, but that’s a post for another day.

Clothing

I tested shorts with large pockets that can hold poles! They allowed me to skip all but 1 aid station. They held my phone, 8 SIS gels and 8 mint Oreos.  The downfall is no support for men, so I wore a compression under them.  

The secret weapon! Shorts with MASSIVE pockets in the waist.

Nutrition

Constant fueling and WAAAY more carbs than in training.  When intensity goes up, so does nutrition.  I was hitting around 60-70 carbs per hour and that seemed to be a sweet spot with the cold weather. If it was hot, it could have been higher. I carried no water and didn’t take any on the course. I used only isotonic gels and only 1 cup of soda near the end. DISCLAIMER: This was tested in a half marathon a few weeks before so I knew this would work. Please don’t go and run a marathon with NO hydration except a 1 cup of soda.

Photo Credit: Doug Rafalski

MORE gels and More cookies next time!  I could have had more Oreos and SIS gels per hour. They went down easy. I had zero GI distress. Will that same thing happen if I ate them for 24 hours?  No idea, but for 4 hours they worked well.  My test for the upper limit for fuel consumption has still not been hit. 

Shout out to Alex Takacs and John Berry, they cheered me on at the start, and its amazing how much a small act like that can make a difference in your performance and mental state.  

What went wrong?

I took the first half too fast, but it was a risk I knew I was taking.  I was eating WAY more than I normally do in a race and I intentionally pushed intensity.  While I would say this worked to a point, I would have run an even faster time had I ran a negative split. If you negative split then you tend to run your fastest time capable that day. At least that’s what I have found with my training in the past.

Pacing – The race kicked off, and I went out too hard.  I met Bill Durante, no relation, when my running group, the EYB runners, decided to meet up with Bud Wilson and his crew.  He was going HARD off the start and we went back and forth all race.  Bill was having a tough run, he said he didn’t have any contacts left, and resorted to wearing glasses in the race that kept fogging. The dude fell 5 or more times, but he still kept pushing the pace.  That in turn triggered me to push the pace, I do know better and still ran my own race, but it was a plus to run with him.

I was pumped to be running this race for the 3rd time.

What would I do differently:  

More food, slower first lap, and letting my ankle heal properly after I had injured it.  I was so concerned about missing training that I kept running on an injured ankle.  I did a lot to rehab, but didn’t give it enough time to heal.  There wasn’t that much I would change with this event.

There was a shift in mindset about anyone who passed me. I just finished the book “Let them” by Mel Robbins, and I will say that I kept repeating that to myself. Let them pass you, and LET ME focus on my feet, fuel, and breathing. I can’t control others in a race, and 99% of pain in life is caused trying to control what we can’t.

When we lack control, our stress spikes. When we have sense that we can impact the situation, our cortisol response is dampened. Control doesn’t alter just our hormonal response but also the experience that accompanies the stress response.

I can’t control who shows up on race day, how much they train, and how much of a natural athlete they are. I can control my thoughts, barely, but most of the time as I have written about automatic negative thoughts. I can keep repeating to myself core principles when I race, that the current moment may feel tough, but it will pass. Races are a huge reminder of that topic. When you are surrounded by hundreds of people with the same goal, but wildly different backgrounds and how they got there. No single person comes to trail running with the same goals, or training. Each one of them is trying to run “the best they ever could”, but how ridiculously is that? Stop thinking you will run your best, and try for something that’s more attainable. Raise the floor, shoot for a performance in the top 20 or even 30%. Have a hard look at your training and see if it matches your expectations. Did you put int he work to warrant the performance you expect? That’s where most people shoot themselves in the foot, unmatched expectations.

Each race this year will be a different mindset that won’t put as much stress on this idea to perform “better than I ever”. That’s an idea that no longer serves me. I hit my 44th birthday tomorrow. I am getting older, and not to say that my best days are behind me, I know that I need more compassion for myself and my expectations. That’s a question I would put out to anyone who ran this race. Did you goals align with the performance you achieved, or were they mismatched? If so, you might have been fighting an uphill battle the entire race. Thanks for reading!

Chronos vs Kairos

Chronos and Kairos are the two Greek gods of time. Everyone’s heard of Chronos, but they might be unaware of Kairos.  Chronos represents clock time, so hours, minutes, and seconds. Kairos is the god of the “critical,” or “opportune” time.  Kairos is about those fleeting moments in which an opportunity must be seized. He is the critical time in which decisions have far-reaching consequences, moments that can change the course of our lives in an instant.

Chronos was a road runner, Kairos was a trail runner.

Chronos and Kairos represent two distinct ways in which we experience time. If you’ve lost track of chronological time, you’ve encountered Kairos. He is present in the “flow” state, when you experience a deep sense of concentration. He is the sensation you get when time seems distorted. You have moments of Kairos-type time as a child when you become engrossed in play, but as we age, we often lose touch with this as we become entrenched in our routines, operating like clockwork. We forget how to play, yet it’s a critical aspect of happiness. Kairos is found in activities that ignite meaning and passion. I didn’t think I understood him until I sat down and really thought about time. I’ve always been aware of the social construct of time as I glance at my wristwatch, which tells me the hour, minute, and second. My early running career was focused almost exclusively on Chronos—always watching the clock and trying to beat my previous times.

While I didn’t experience a mid-life crisis, I would say that I began to think differently about my relationship with time as I approached 40, and I’ll be 43 in a few days. I started to evaluate where I was investing my time, how much I had left, and how it should be spent.

Trail runners vs Road Runners

Racing now is about Kairos—the flow state. I want to lose the sense of Chronos, where hours seem to pass like minutes during an ultra race. That’s a significant reason why I enjoy ultras. To me, it’s play; it’s like being a kid again when the only purpose was play itself. You feel this odd sense of connection while moving through nature. Chronos fades away, and Kairos takes the stage. Ultras tend to be less about your finishing time and more about accomplishing what seems impossible.

The pull to do what’s required vs what’s exciting and new.

Kairos is omnipresent in nature, often found in the novelty of experiences. He could be your newfound friend whom you might meet on a trail you’ve run a hundred times, if only you greet a random stranger. He resides in the breathtaking vistas and landscapes of many ultramarathons, in parks, and along trails in remote locations. It’s not that Chronos isn’t there—because if you’re racing against cutoffs in an ultra, you’re certainly aware of him—but he’s not the star of the show; Kairos is.

I’ll never say, “I don’t have time,” or “I’m too busy.” Instead, I force myself to say, “It’s just not that important to me.” For the things that matter in life, I make it a point to clear my schedule and create time. Recognizing that difference is crucial.

Chronos the Road vs Kairos the Trail

Recognizing the path of Kairos is a deeply personal process. It’s about being attuned to the moments that bring you a sense of joy, fulfillment, and purpose—those instances that make you feel alive and connected to something greater than the daily grind. Here are a few signs and considerations that might indicate you’re on the path of Kairos:

  1. Joy and Passion: When activities or opportunities excite you and ignite a passion within, they’re likely aligned with Kairos. This joy can be a guiding light toward more meaningful experiences.
  2. Flow State: If you find yourself in a state of flow, where time seems to stand still or pass without your notice because you’re so immersed in what you’re doing, you’re experiencing Kairos.
  3. Growth and Challenge: Kairos often lies just beyond your comfort zone. If a path challenges you and promotes growth, it might be the path of Kairos calling you to step forward.
  4. Authenticity: When you’re true to yourself and your values, you’re more likely to encounter Kairos. This means making decisions based on what genuinely matters to you, not what others think should matter.
  5. Mindfulness and Presence: Being fully present in the moment allows you to recognize and seize Kairos opportunities. Mindfulness helps you appreciate the richness of your experiences.
  6. Reflection: Regularly reflecting on your life, your goals, and your happiness can help you identify where Kairos might be found. It’s about understanding what brings you a sense of purpose and making choices that align with that.

I may seem like I hate road running, but I don’t. It’s where I got my start. Don’t take offense if you love the road. I just prefer the deeper sense of adventure found in nature as opposed to the typical big-city marathon or road race. I’m not sure what differentiates most big-city marathons; if you’ve run in one city, they all start to feel the same, but perhaps that’s a closed-minded view. Whatever you choose, be it road or trail, enjoy your journey and take the road less traveled. Be open to new opportunities wherever they may present themselves before it’s too late. Your weekends and vacations are critical because they offer the rare chance to encounter Kairos, the god of meaningful time. Don’t let it slip through your fingers and realize you’ve wasted your life on trivial things. Plan that trip, sign up for that faraway race, and take on that ultra. Do it before it’s too late and time has run its course.

Time has run out…

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